The Functional Contextual a-ontological stance and Bas C. van Fraassen’s Constructive Empiricism

•Introduces and summarizes Bas. C. van Frassen’s Constructive Empiricism.•Identifies criticisms of a-ontology reported in the literature.•Mounts a defense of a-ontology by applying Constructive Empiricism to those criticisms.

Functional Contextualists use a pragmatic truth criterion that is based on successful working. When applying their truth criterion they maintain an agnostic stance with respect to ontology; that is, they maintain an a-ontological stance. Scientists from other areas of behavior analysis and psychology who primarily operate from a perspective of Scientific Realism have criticized this stance on several grounds. In this paper, the reader is introduced to Bas C. van Fraassen’s Constructive Empiricism. This introduction allows for the development of a strong philosophical base which is then used to mount a defense of the a-ontological position.